


Missing

by appleblossom2



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Procedures, Medical Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2217354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appleblossom2/pseuds/appleblossom2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after season 1 ends.  With Ward's help Skye is kidnapped by Raina who is still looking to complete her super soldier serum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The team has just settled into the Playground when Phillip Coulson got word. Maria Hill had contacted him as soon as she had heard and now he has to break the news to them. They are sitting in the living room, the television on the twenty four hour news station, watching breaking news of the latest Hydra attacks when he walks in. Skye, sitting closest to the door, catches his attention first. She is curled up in a chair with her feet propped up on an ottoman as she types away into her laptop, seemingly oblivious to anything else going on in the room but Coulson knows better. Her chestnut hair is pulled back into a ponytail, several locks escaping and curling around her face as she stares intently at the screen before her. As he scans the room it is Melinda May whose eyes meet his and briefly he wonders which one of them will take the news the worst.

"Hey," he says, reaching for the remote and muting the sound on the television. Jemma Simmons looks up, concern evident on her face and Coulson knows she is worried about her partner and friend, Leo Fitz. A team of doctors are working and monitoring his condition, but so far the young engineer has remained in a coma. The final member of his team is the newest, but Coulson has come to rely on him completely and as Antoine Triplett sees the fear forming on Jemma's face, he reaches over and places a hand comfortingly on hers.

"Fitz is still the same," Coulson says to Simmons, attempting to calm her before revealing the true nature of his visit. "I just got word that the armored car that was transporting Ward to Leavenworth was hijacked. The escort vehicles were involved in a serious accident and the guards with Ward were killed."

May's face hardens at the news and Coulson can guess what she is thinking. She had wanted to be a part of that mission but he'd said no. His glance toward Skye reveals a different emotion and he wonders how deeply entangled into her heart the specialist became before revealing his true nature. He was her supervising officer. He trained her. They spent so much time together and then he had betrayed her. Betrayed them all. Her eyes grow cold but she says nothing and Coulson wonders what is going on inside her head.

"Was it Quinn?" Skye finally asks, her voice tripping slightly over the name of the man who had shot her twice and left her to die. Coulson knew she still had nightmares about it. He heard her from time to time, crying out in her sleep. Heard Simmons' reassuring her that she was safe and everything was fine, but was it? He had given her an alien drug that had miraculously saved her life - and his own - but what was the cost?

"Yes," Coulson tells her, stepping closer and settling onto the ottoman as she pushes her legs to the side, making room for him. When she frowns he lays a hand on her knee, gently pulling her back from her thoughts. He wants to tell her not to worry, but he knows what these two formidable men can do and he can't even take his own advice so he just smiles as reassuringly as possible.

"What's happening here?" he asks and Trip fills him in. As the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson knows he needs to do something so after listening he calls May and Trip into his office, ready to start brainstorming solutions with his two best agents.

***

"Why am I here?" Grant Ward asks as he looks around the first rate laboratory facility that he has been taken to. His voice is still raspy, the effects of his still healing larynx still bothering him slightly. Ian Quinn points to the door and as it opens Ward is not surprised to see Raina. She smiles sweetly at him and if he didn't know her better, Ward would think she couldn't hurt a fly.

"Grant," she says happily. "It's so good to see you again."

Ward simply nods, wondering what she is up to, as he repeats his question. "Why am I here?"

"I need your assistance with procuring something," she tells him.

"Something? Or someone?" Ward asks, remembering their last conversation.

She smiles wickedly. "You know me so well, Ward."

"Count me out," Ward snaps, his dark eyes hardening in anger.

"Well, Mr. Quinn can go get her for me, I guess, but we all know they don't really like each other. Skye is much more likely to come willingly with you."

Ward shakes his head as he answers, "She doesn't want anything to do with me."

The reality of those words sink in and once again he feels that inkling of something deep inside him. That weakness stirred up by a girl who was supposed to mean nothing to him. She was just supposed to be part of the mission and nothing more.

Raina nods her head slowly, agreeing with him. "Well I think you will want to persuade her otherwise. She is going to die if you don't."

Ward's heart stops for just a moment at the thought of it. He's seen her close to death and remembers how paralyzed he felt at the thought of not being able to do anything for her. As he stares at Raina's eyes, trying to decipher if the truth is being told or not, Ward realizes that the woman in the flower dress is so locked down that there is no way to tell. She is still smiling, but it is that cunning look that reveals nothing to him.

"Fine," he snaps finally. "I'll go get her."

***

Phil Coulson adjusts his tie one more time before settling onto the bench outside of the senator's office. If everything goes well today he will be one step closer to getting S.H.I.E.L.D. back on its feet and he hopes his nervousness doesn't show. Nick Fury is counting on him to start rebuilding and Coulson is bound and determined to do it right.

"You look great," Melinda May whispers as she sits next to him on the hard bench inside the capitol building. 

"Thanks for coming with me," Coulson replies as he tries to stop fidgeting. The rest of the team has gone off to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit with Fitz; a place Coulson would rather be right now. 

The door opens and Senator Gilmore steps out, hand extending to greet them. "Agent May. Agent Coulson. Please come in." 

"Thank you for seeing us," Coulson says, gripping the young man's hand firmly before following him inside his office.

***

"Fitz," Jemma Simmons whispers to her best friend as he lays still on the hospital bed, machines helping with his breathing and monitoring his vitals. "Please come back to me."

Tears fill Skye's eyes as she tries not to eavesdrop on her friend's conversation with the young engineer. At the moment she feels like a third wheel so she motions to Jemma that she is going to get coffee. When Simmons nods, Skye steps out of the room and closes the door. 

Trip is sitting in a chair outside, glancing through the newspaper while he waits. "How's he doing?"  
"The same," Skye tells him, trying not to choke up at the thought of Fitz lying so still in that bed. She imagines that she must have looked the same when she had been shot and dying and the thought hits a little too close to home. Shaking her head from the thoughts she says, "I'm going to get coffee. Do you want anything?" 

"Do you want me to come with you?" Trip asks. With Ward on the loose again he knows that Coulson wouldn't want to take any chances with his team, but if he leaves with Skye then who will keep an eye on Simmons? 

Skye shakes her head. "I'm just going down the hall. I'll be fine." 

Trip nods and returns his attention to his newspaper, glancing up and watching her walk down the hall until she turns left into the small break room that holds the vending machines. 

Skye steps up to the coffee machine and feeds coins into it one by one but when she selects the small coffee nothing happens. She presses the button again and finally, with an exasperated sigh, bangs on the button that returns her change. Stepping back into the hall she is about to go back to tell Trip that she is going to head down to the cafeteria when she sees one of the military police officers who is assigned to watch over Fitz come up to talk to him. Not wanting to bother him, Skye figures she will be back before he even misses her and turns, heading into the elevator. When the door opens on the bottom floor Skye follows the signs directing her toward the cafeteria. She is almost there when someone calls her name from a side corridor that she hadn't noticed until now. Icy cold fingers of fear drift over her as the hair on the back of her neck stands up telling her immediately that she is in trouble as Grant Ward steps out of the shadows. 

"Hey Skye," he says, his hoarse voice sounding foreign in her ears. 

She involuntarily takes a step back as he moves forward, one hand quickly grabbing her arm. A noise startles them both and they see someone exiting the cafeteria. She is an older lady and Ward whispers, "Don't do anything stupid, Skye. I don't want to have to hurt her." 

Skye nods and looks down at the ground as the woman passes. 

"Come with me," Ward says, his grip tight around her arm. 

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she replies, pulling against his grip. Fear fills her eyes as she looks around, praying that someone will help her, but Ward just drags her down the hallway. "Help!" 

"Shut up," Ward snaps as he directs her into a dimly lit room. Someone else is in there as well and grabs her from behind, forcing a smelly rag against her face. Skye fights for all she is worth but between the two men there is nothing she can do and as darkness closes in on her she worries that Coulson is going to be so angry with her. She shouldn't have left the floor without Trip. At the very least she should have told him where she was going. Her knees buckle and as she falls Skye feels Ward's strong arms around her, lifting her into his embrace. She can't help herself as she rests her head against his shoulder, sleep overcoming her finally.

***

"Where am I?" Skye asks, her words slurring together as she opens her eyes finally, taking in the room where she is being held. The room looks similar to the one that Fitz was in and she sees all of the medical equipment which worries her slightly.

"Temporary headquarters," Quinn snaps, and she hears his anger seething just under the surface of his cool exterior. "Thanks to all of your interference, we are having a hard time staying in one place."

Skye levels her gaze at him. Inside she is afraid of Quinn but she will never let him know that. "You sound just like one of the Scooby Doo villains. If it wasn't for those meddling kids..."

Quinn's hand connects with her cheek, and as her head whips from left to right, an involuntary cry of pain explodes from her lips. "It's not so funny now, is it?"

Tears fill her eyes but she refuses to answer him, trying to see past him for the only other face that constantly haunts her.

"He's on a mission," Raina says as she enters Skye's line of sight. As usual, she is wearing a flowered dress, this one white with tiny, cornflower blue buds on it. "He'll be back soon."  
"What do you want with me?" Skye asks, pulling lightly at the restraints around her wrists. They are secure and cut slightly into her skin as she does, which makes her stop instantly. Quinn laughs softly and heads out the door, leaving the two women alone.

"Your blood," Raina says simply as she comes to stand by her side.

"What for?" Skye asks.

"The _GH-325_ serum of course," Raina tells her. "If you cooperate, Skye, I am willing to share some interesting facts about your past with you."

"Right," Skye answers skeptically, but her eyes tell a different story and she wonders if this woman really could know more about her past than everything she has already learned. Of course, she thinks to herself, maybe she doesn't want to know any more than the horror stories told by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had rescued her when she was just a baby.

"I know your father, Skye," Raina says, smiling as she walks away from the trapped girl's line of sight. When she reappears she has a tray with several empty collection tubes and an array of things that Skye recognizes from all of the times Simmons would draw her blood. Raina slips a pair of plastic gloves over her slim fingers as she adds, "If you cooperate I'll tell you all about him."

"I'll pass," Skye answers, shrinking away from the woman in the flowered dress. "I gave at the office."

Raina reaches behind Skye's bed, pressing a red button before saying, "This will be much easier if you just cooperate, Skye. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to study the effects of _GH-325_ on you."

"You've already seen the results from all the samples Simmons took," Skye replies as two large orderlies come in and wait by the door. "I know you have the hard drive."

Raina nods, her voice compassionate as she agrees. "I do have it. It's revealed a lot of information, but I need to run more tests. Please just cooperate this once. I promise it won't hurt."

Skye frowns but finally nods in agreement, watching as Raina waves a hand, dismissing the two hulk like men from their presence. She reaches for the black band and ties it into a tourniquet above Skye's right elbow before grabbing the alcohol swab and rubbing it along the girl's exposed vein.

"Make a fist please," Raina asks politely and Skye does so, closing her eyes as the pin prick stab of the needle pierces her skin. A few moments later Raina says, "All done. See that wasn't so bad."

Skye stares at the vials on the tray, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. As Raina walks away, the girl closes her eyes, tears drifting down her cheeks as she slowly drifts off to sleep.

***

"Anything?" Raina asks as she enters the lab. A young man with long hair pulled back into a ponytail and hipster type glasses looks up from the microscope he is peering in.

"At first, no," he tells her, motioning Raina over to the monitor holding all of the results. "Standard testing reveals no trace of a foreign substance in her body."

The woman in the flowered dress looks closer at the results, noting that they are the same as what was on the encrypted hard drive. "So what did you find?"

The hematologist taps on the keyboard and a new set of data appears. _GH-325_ clearly still in Skye's system. She recognizes it from the only vial she had of the closest substance given to her by John Garrett from when he was at the _Guest House_. When she turns to the young man her eyes are wide with excitement. "How?"

" _Extremis_ ," he tells her. "Her blood is resistant to the effects of the serum and over the course of several hours _GH-325_ appeared separately in the sample ."

Raina's eyes light up, excited at the prospect of finally being able to duplicate the elusive _GH-325_. 

"How much did you get? Can we synthesize it?" 

"Not much," the young scientist replies. "I've been working on recreating it, but there is no way. Whatever this stuff is, it is clearly not from this planet." 

"Alien?" Raina asks, even though she has long suspected it. 

"Yes," he answers. "I can't get enough to move _Project Centipede_ to stage three or do much more research on it with the provided blood draw."

Raina nods, understanding what he wants. "How much more do you need?" 

"Well," the young man answers. "Right now I am looking at modifying a dialysis machine to collect the _GH-325_ from her system but we'll have to inject her directly with _Extremis_ in order to get enough to sample." 

"Will it hurt her?" Raina asks, thinking of Skye's father. She can't turn the girl over to him if she is dead and to be honest, she is a little afraid of him. 

"Physically?" the scientist asks. "She will be a little uncomfortable while the _Extremis_ is in her system. Afterwards though, there should be no lasting effects." 

Raina nods. "Let's do it then."

***


	2. Chapter 2

"Any word?" Melinda May asks as she approaches Phil Coulson. He is staring at all the data littering the monitor in the command center. Video footage from the hospital is paused in a window on the lower right corner of the screen showing Skye's lifeless body being carried out of a utility room by former agent Grant Ward and placed on a gurney. May's seen it before and knows that Coulson has watched it several times, unable to fight back the anger and guilt at having let Skye out of his sight. 

Coulson looks up at his friend and answers, "No. We have new footage of the ambulance on the Capitol Beltway but once it turns north on 95 we have no other sightings of it." 

The older agent looks helplessly at May as he adds, "I don't know where else to look." 

Melinda May places a hand gently on his shoulder. "We'll find her."

***

Grant Ward stands quietly at the door peering through the glass. She sits on the twin sized bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she rests her chin on them, her arms wrapped protectively around her legs. Ward knows that with the exception of someone bringing her meals throughout the day that no one has been to visit her during the week that she has been kept captive here. Raina and her scientist sidekick have been busy in their lab but she gave him permission to see her so when he unlocks the door and steps inside the small room he is not surprised to see the look of shock that appears on her face before she quickly hides it behind a mask of indifference.

"Hello Skye," Ward says as he steps farther into the room, shutting the door behind him. He takes in her surroundings, noting the pleasant furnishings in the windowless room. "Are you okay?"

Skye glares at him for a moment before returning her attention to a movie on the television. Ward knows she is only getting a few pay channels; nothing that would give her any link to the outside world and what is really going on. He walks slowly toward her and settles into a chair next to her bed. "I'm sorry." 

This gets her attention and she stares angrily at him for a moment. "Sorry? Really? For what, Ward? Being a double agent? A disgusting excuse for a human being? Are you sorry for all of the innocent people you killed? For the fact that you're a freaking serial killer?" 

"Skye," Ward interrupts, reaching a hand out and placing it on her arm. 

"Go play in traffic!" Skye snaps, yanking her arm out from underneath his touch. 

"Skye," he says again, reaching out and grabbing her arm tight so she will look at him. Her reaction is instant as she attempts to slap him with her free hand but he is quicker than she is and grabs that too, holding her against the wall next to the bed as he says, "Listen to me. They were coming to get you no matter what. If it wasn't me it would have been Quinn." 

"Get off me," she replies angrily, but all of the fight has gone out of her with the mention of the man who tried to kill her. 

Ward lets go, sitting back down in his chair. "I'm trying to protect you." 

"You're doing a hell of a job of it," Skye retorts, reaching for the remote on the bed and turning up the sound, drowning out any future words from him. 

The two of them sit in silence for a few minutes when the door opens again and Raina unexpectedly appears in the doorway. 

"Do you mind turning that down?" she asks nicely as she enters the room, letting the door close behind her. She waits until Skye mutes the television and says, "Thank you. I know you've been waiting patiently for me to fulfill my end of the bargain and I am prepared to do that. I just need your help with one more thing." 

"What?" Skye asks angrily. 

"We've found the _GH-325_ is still in your system and we've found a way to extract it." Raina pauses, allowing her words to sink in. "Once we get a larger sample of it I can begin to study it. Tell you exactly what it is that you were injected with and maybe use it to help others as well." 

"You mean your super soldiers," Skye says, her eyes narrowing at the woman in the flowered dress. 

"That's _Centipede_ 's goal," Raina tells her. "Not mine. _GH-325_ healed you. It brought Coulson back from the dead. What else can it do, Skye? Cure cancer? Save lives? The possibilities are endless." 

Ward looks back and forth between the two women. Raina sounds so convincing but he's seen the worst of her and knows that she is just as dangerous as Garrett had been, although not quite as insane. Skye seems to be taking in her words, probably analyzing them for truth before turning her attention back to the images on the television. 

"As soon as I get the samples, Skye, I'll set up a meeting with your father," Raina offers. 

Ward watches the girl as she tenses before them. He knows that this is what she has been searching for and wonders if she will accept Raina's offer. At the same time, he knows that if what he's heard about Skye's parents is true, she will be at greater danger than she is right now. 

"If I help you," Skye answers hesitantly. "I want you to let me go. Back to Coulson. I don't want to meet my father." 

Raina seems to consider it for a moment before finally answering, "Done." 

Ward hears the lie but knows Skye doesn't as she finally agrees to help her. "What do I have to do?" 

"Come with me," Raina says, smiling happily. 

Skye glances over to Ward, looking for reassurance from the man she has not quite let go of in her mind. He is torn between trying to stop her from following blindly along with Raina's plans and letting them do what they want and staying beside her to try to protect her from anything worse. At the moment this seems the lesser of two evils and he knows now that he needs to start planning a way to escape with her if things go the way he thinks they will. 

Raina leads them to the lab and hands Skye a hospital gown. "Put this on and we'll get started." 

"What are you going to do to me?" Skye asks as she looks hesitantly around the room. 

Raina steps close to the girl and places a hand just under her collarbone. "We need to insert a catheter here. It's temporary and once we're done we'll remove it completely. After that we will draw your blood out through one tube, send it into the machine next to the bed there and that will extract the _GH-325_. After that your blood will be returned to you. It's just like dialysis, Skye. We've just perfected it to remove the _GH-325_ from your system." 

The fear in Skye's eyes reappears and Ward wants nothing more than to reach out and take her hand, reassuring her that he is there for her, but he contains himself for now. The girl's shoulders drop in defeat as she heads behind the divider to change out of her clothes. Moments later she reappears and follows Raina's directions to settle onto the bed. A team of medical personnel suddenly appear and Ward sees her shaking slightly as they surround her, inserting an IV into a vein in her hand, prepping her for the procedure. Her body begins to tremble in earnest now and she is terrified as her eyes search his out. 

"It'll be okay, Skye," Raina says, her voice compassionate and caring. Ward knows it is fake but Skye doesn't and as they inject something in her IV she slowly closes her eyes, drifting off to sleep. He hopes she dreams of something good; something that takes her mind far from this place.

***

Hours later she wakes, groggy and tired, an incredible ache in her chest. Her vision is blurry but slowly clears as she takes in the surroundings of the room she is in. It takes her a moment to realize that it is still the same laboratory that she was in earlier and Skye wonders how long she has been there. No one seems to be in the room but as she tries to sit up and moan someone comes toward her.

"How are you feeling?" Raina asks as she brushes a stray lock of hair away from Skye's face. 

"Sore I guess," Skye answers. "How long have I been asleep?" 

"About twelve hours," Raina answers. 

"Are we done?" Skye asks. 

"Only with the insertion of the catheter, I'm afraid," Raina tells her sympathetically. "We needed to wait for the sedatives to wear off before we can begin extracting the _GH-325_. We'll be ready to start in just a little bit."

A noise near the door catches her attention and she looks over to see Ward standing there. His eyes are filled with concern and her heart contracts unexpectedly as she looks at him. "Can I come in?" 

She nods, unable to say anything more. She is so angry with him for betraying them all. For lying to them. For making her feel something for him only to turn on her in the end. But right now she knows he is the only one she can trust even slightly and she desperately wants him to stay by her side. She realizes unexpectedly that she is still hoping that he will turn out to be that good man she wanted him to be, but Skye knows now that this thought is unrealistic. She watches as he walks over to him and when he reaches for her hand, Skye can't help but squeeze his back, her eyes boring into his, begging him silently to help her. 

"Let's get started," a young looking guy says, his voice a little more excited than Skye thinks he should be, considering that they are about to do some experimental procedure on her, but he smiles reassuringly as he hooks lines from the machines into the two tubes protruding out from her chest. As he does Skye begins to shake uncontrollably, fear overtaking her at the thought of what is about to come. Ward squeezes her hand once more but she is too terrified to notice. She sees Raina approaching with a needle, amber colored liquid inside. 

"What's that for?" Ward asks nervously. 

"It stimulates the _GH-325_ to separate from the rest of her blood," the scientist says as he reaches for Skye's other hand, laying her arm in a leather cuff. Skye realizes immediately what he is planning on doing and pulls her arm away. The scientist looks to Ward and says, "Wanna help me out?" 

"Not really," Ward growls back, but grabs her arm and pushes it down so he can strap Skye to the bed. The betrayal on her face is enough to make him want to kill both of these scientists and grab her and run, but instead he reaches for her other hand and straps that down as well. The scientist straps leather restraints around each ankle and the girl is now trapped to the bed. 

She is crying hard now and her voice is halting as she asks, "What is it?"

" _Extremis_ ," Raina answers and Skye immediately panics. 

"No!" she screams, struggling hard against the restraints now. "You're not injecting me with that!" 

"It's okay, Skye," the woman in the flowered dress tells her. "Your body is immune to the effects of it. We've already tested the blood samples and your system rejects the _Extremis_ completely. We just need it long enough to extract the _GH-325_." 

"No," Skye snaps, pulling against her bonds as Raina reaches for her arm and injects the the drug directly into her system. Skye stills immediately as the serum rushes into her bloodstream. At first it is just a tingling sensation at the injection site but the slight itching intensifies slowly, becoming a slow burn as it spreads down her arm, into each finger and the tips of each one are on fire as her cries become shrieks of pain. Her left hand flails in the cuff and when Ward reaches for it, she grips his hand like a lifeline. "Stop! Please stop!" 

Ward's heart aches for her as she turns from him to Raina and the scientist, desperate for relief. Tears stream down her cheeks and as Ward looks to where the catheter is inserted, he notices that no blood is leaving her system. His voice raises slightly and he hears the panic in it as he says, "Why isn't it working?" 

"It's waiting until the _GH-325_ is separated. Once that happens, the machine will start extracting her blood. There's no point to pulling it in before then." 

"You're killing her," Ward growls, watching as Skye writhes on the bed, attempting to pull her right arm free and her left hand clings to his tightly. 

"She's fine," the scientists says. "See?" 

On the bed, Skye has finally settled down, her arm stilling even as her left hand holds his in a death grip. She is still crying and her whole body is shaking, but Ward agrees that she seems to be okay now. "The machine is still not working." 

"It works," the man says. "The dosage of _Extremis_ was too low." 

Ward doesn't understand until Raina appears again with another syringe. This one is larger and is filled completely to the top, the amber liquid resting right against the plunger. He frowns angrily as Skye's sobs begin anew. "C'mon! Don't do this." 

Raina plunges the serum in her subject's arm once more and Skye twitches once again. This time the serum rushes into her fingertips but then seems to reverse direction and also creeps up her arm, slowly, achingly, and then faster and faster, until she is screaming again, begging for the pain to stop. Barely she feels Ward's fingers on her cheek; hears him whispering something to her. She thinks she hears Raina's voice saying it is working and she prays it is. Maybe it will be over soon. Fuzz fills her brain as she closes her eyes waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass. The scalding pain in her arm subsides slowly, scorching her veins, turning to that same elusive itch before dying down to a slight tingle. 

"Dammit!" the scientist says as the blood stops flowing out of Skye's catheter. 

Ward shakes his head, hoping that they will give up now. They have tried it twice and both times they haven't gotten enough to make it worthwhile. He glances down to Skye and her eyes are closed but an occasional tear still slips underneath her lashes and down her cheeks. He brushes one away and she flinches slightly but squeezes his hand tighter and Ward wonders how she can even hold on. 

"I guess we're going to plan B," Raina says, motioning for the scientist to follow her out the door. 

Ward shakes his head angrily, his decision made as he leans down, pressing his lips to Skye's forehead before leaning close to her ear. "I'm going to get you out of here."

***

He knocks on the door softly, waiting for Coulson to look up from the computer on his desk. "Do you have news?"

"Yes," Antoine Triplett answers as he enters, holding up his cell phone. "I received a text message from a blocked number but I think it is from Ward." 

"What did it say?" Coulson asks. 

Trip hands the phone to his boss and lets him read it.

 _Skye in danger. Getting her out. Will contact you soon._

Coulson's heart pounds nervously in his chest as he worries about his protégé. After everything they have been through he has come to love her like the daughter he's never had and worry courses through him. He looks up to see Trip looking at him and asks, "Did you try contacting him back?" 

"No answer," Trip tells him. "Do you think he's telling the truth?" 

Shrugging, Coulson hands the phone back to him. "I don't know. The whole thing doesn't make sense. Why take her in the first place to just give her back?" 

"Maybe he's growing a conscience," Melinda May says from behind, having heard the last bit of information. 

"Is there any way we can trace the text?" Coulson asks. 

"It's not my specialty," Trip answers and Coulson nods, knowing whose specialty it is. If Skye was here it would already be done. Of course, if Skye was here, they wouldn't need to trace a text, or worry about where she was or who was holding her against her will. He especially would not be haunted by the video footage showing her limp in the arms of a man who had betrayed them all. 

Trip seems to take the hint and excuses himself, letting his C.O. know that as soon as he hears anything else, Coulson will be the first to know. May, on the other hand, settles into the chair across from his desk. "She's strong, Phil. If Ward is telling the truth, we'll have her back soon." 

Coulson nods. "You think he's telling the truth?" 

May shrugs. "If he's not, we'll find out soon enough. We need to plan for both." 

"Get on it," Coulson tells her and May nods, heading out the door to find Trip.

***

Skye is sitting on the bed in the locked room that they have kept her in since she's gotten here. During the last several days they have fed her well and let her watch movies on the small television, but no one has come to see her at all, with the exception of the person delivering her meals. She wonders where Ward is and her mind wanders to their last minutes together before she slipped into unconsciousness. Her arm still ached from the effects of the _Extremis_ and she worries that whatever Plan B is will be worse than what she's already been through. She remembers Ward's voice in her ear, rasping slightly, quiet and almost inaudible, promising to save her and Skye doesn't know if her mind just made those words up or if he really said it. If he really said it, does he mean it? If he really meant it, when is he going to make good on his words? She is desperate to get out, to get away from Raina and her crazy scientist. As if the woman knows she is thinking about her, the door suddenly opens and Raina walks in, her sleeveless dress is light blue with tiny white flowers covering the bodice. Behind her stand two large orderlies, dressed in white scrubs that strain at the size of their muscles. Skye sinks back into the bed, pushing herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible as they come for her.

"We're ready for Plan B," Raina tells her quietly. "I know you don't enjoy this, Skye, but you have to know that you are helping us so much. Once this is done I promise we'll return you to your father." 

Skye startles at her words. "You said Coulson!" 

"I did?" Raina asks sweetly. "No, you must be mistaken. Your father would never let me turn you back over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Especially now that he knows I have you." 

The closest orderly reaches down to grab her arm and Skye slams the palm of her hand into his nose, jerking away from him as blood gushes down his lips, dripping off his chin. She is off the bed in an instant but the other brute has her around the waist and drags her toward the door, kicking and screaming, as he carries her out of the bedroom and down the hallway. Skye's feet hit the side of the wall and she pushes against it but the move is ineffective as moments later she is placed in the hospital bed and strapped down again. Still she struggles, fighting as much as she can as one of the men places an IV line into her hand and tapes it down securely. When the scientist comes in Skye stills, watching as he pushes the machine closer to the bed and hooks the two lines into the catheter under her collarbone. 

"Please don't do this," she whispers, her eyes meeting his desperate for some compassion but the scientist just looks away and starts up his machine, checking it over as he waits for Raina to appear. When she does and Skye sees what is in her hand she begins to cry for real, shaking and pulling hard at the restraints holding her arms and legs in place. Raina hooks the bag filled with _Extremis_ on the pole next to Skye's bed and threads the line into Skye's IV. 

"How do you want to start?" she asks the scientist, ignoring the trembling girl on the bed and Skye knows now she is just a lab rat to the two of them. There is no sense in begging or pleading now. Neither one of them will help her and wherever Ward is, whatever he promised, he is not here to save her now either. 

"Let's do a direct injection into the arm like before and then start the IV," the scientist says. Raina walks away for a moment and then returns with the syringe, quickly pressing the tip of the needle into Skye's arm, right at the vein in the crook of her elbow. Skye doesn't know which is worse, the pin prick or the itch, but she does know that what comes next will be unbearable and she clenches her teeth as the burn creeps down her arm again. "Start the IV." 

Skye's eyes close as _Extremis_ seeps into the vein in her hand, meeting the already present serum. Her arm begins to quiver uncontrollably and tears escape her eyes unbidden as she squeezes them closed. The serum blisters her blood, scorching a path out of her arm and into the veins along her neck. She hears the pulse of the machine, knows it is pumping her blood out as fast as the _Extremis_ is stripping the _GH-325_ from her blood cells and platelets. The ache inside her is physical now and she easily tracks it as it runs across to the left side of her neck and down that arm, settling at her fingertips before moving into her pulmonary veins, filling her lungs and her heart with amber liquid fire. Skye gasps for air, her heart restricting and contracting rapidly, desperate to push the foreign substance out from the atria and ventricles. The throbbing grows worse as she feels her lungs shrivel and she knows she is dying. She must be. How can this last much longer without killing her? _Extremis_ fills every artery, every nook and cranny of her body. It slips into her brain, pulsing behind her eyes and that is when the screams begin again. How can she live through this agony? Why isn't her body at least shutting down? Taking the pain away? She begs for relief, opening her eyes for a moment, knowing that the IV bag has to be almost empty and shrieks in agony as she realizes that it has barely begun to filter into her system. Skye knows then that this torment is just the beginning stages of the horror they have planned for her and closes her eyes again as another wave of agony rips through her body. There is no numbness. No getting used to this searing pain. There is only burning.

***

He hears her cries. They go on for hours but Grant Ward has to ignore them. At least for a little while. He's set up a hidden camera in their lab in order to watch them and monitor when he can rescue her. He watches the IV bag mostly, the amber liquid dripping slowly into her system. It is easier than looking at her writhing in the bed, oblivious to anything but her own pain. He focuses on the blood leaving her body, snaking into the machine and then coming back out, returning to the girl in agony. He hopes that once the IV bag empties they will leave her alone and then he can get her out. His plan is solid now. He just has to wait for the right moment.

"Things are going well," the scientist tells Raina as she comes in for an update. Ward notices she is holding another bag and his heart sinks. How long are they going to torture her? How much more can her poor body take? "She's producing _GH-325_ as fast as the blood is going back into her system." 

"Is it killing her?" Raina asks and Ward sees the look of concern in her eyes, knowing that it has more to do with the fear of Skye's monster father than whether or not the girl dies. 

"No," the young man tells her. "Physically she will be fine." 

_Physically,_ Ward thinks to himself, feeling the anger build. What about emotionally? He glances at the gun in his hand and makes a decision. He knows that besides Raina and the scientist, the only others in the building are the brute orderlies and a handful of security guards. Ian Quinn has disappeared and right now Ward doesn't care. He will take of him later. For Skye. 

"Good," Raina says, pulling Ward back to the present. "I need to check in with her father. I'll be back." 

Ward waits, counting to ten before he steps out of his room. No one is in the hallway of what is essentially an abandoned old hospital outside of Baltimore, and he quietly creeps down toward the laboratory where Skye is being tortured. Standing outside the doors he twists the silencer in place, not wanting to alert the guards of any trouble and steps inside. The scientist looks up and a moment later his body drops backwards, his eyes wide as the shot pierces his body and ruptures his heart. He is dead a moment later and Ward rushes to Skye's side, carefully removing the IV line from her hand. It is everything he has in him to ignore the screams still coming from her as the _Extremis_ is still inside her system. He wishes FitzSimmons were here with him and cringes at the thought of what he has done to them, but he's grateful they are still alive and hopeful that Fitz will make a full recovery. Thinking back to what the scientist had said earlier, that the machine would shut off when her body stopped making _GH-325_ he unhooks the left most line from the catheter and caps it shut. The machine cycles the rest of Skye's blood back into her body and abruptly stops, allowing Ward to disengage the machine from the right line of the catheter and cap that shut as well. Skye is still crying, her body jerking as spasms rip through her body, but the screams have settled into sobs and Ward guesses that maybe she is starting to feel some relief now that the _Extremis_ is no longer flowing in unabated. She will still need to burn off what is in her system, but he can't wait for that. Quickly he undoes the buckles around the leather restraints at her legs and then does her arms as well, ducking as she blindly takes a swing at him. 

"It's okay Skye," he says, trying to keep his voice calm as she struggles to get away from him now that she realizes she is free. "I'm getting you out of here." 

She seems to hear him, allowing Ward to help her sit up and wrap a blanket around her before pulling her up onto her feet. She is weak, no strength left in her legs, and Ward knows now he is going to have to carry her. That will be a problem if they run into any of the guards and she is still breathing heavily and sobbing loudly so he sits her back onto the bed for a moment, grabbing her chin carefully with his fingers, making her look at him. "There are still guards in the building. I need you to be as quiet as possible, Skye. Do you understand?" 

Her eyes are haunted. Pained. But Ward sees the recognition in them and understanding as she slowly nods affirmatively. She trembles fiercely as he pulls her into his arms but closes her mouth tightly, forcing her sobs to remain internal as he lifts her gently and moves toward the door. He can't reach the handle without dropping her so he asks, "Can you get the door?" 

Slowly her hand reaches out, her fingers twitching desperately but she manages to hook them around the handle and pull just enough for Ward to catch the bottom of the door with his foot. He yanks it open and peers out into the still empty hospital. So far luck has been on their side but he has no hope that it will remain that way as he starts for the stairwell nearest the laboratory. He slips inside and starts down the stairs, trying to go slow as he hears her muffled cries, her face buried into his shoulder to keep them quiet, but he knows that time is running out. Guards make the rounds of the floor Skye has been confined to every thirty minutes and it will only be a matter of minutes before they find the dead scientist. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers as he hurries down the stairs, taking each turn quickly, desperate now that he has her in his arms. "For everything." 

Alarms blare just before he kicks open the exit door and he knows they have found the scientist. Skye groans in his arms as he shifts her and runs toward the car he has parked nearby. He only has moments until men with guns appear on the grounds but he needs to set her down to get the passenger door open. Ward lowers her to her feet, waiting until she puts a little weight on them before letting go with one hand to yank the door open hard. He wants to be careful with her but she seems to sense his urgency and ducks her head, trying her best to help get herself in the car on her own. Skye's eyes meet his as he lifts her legs into the vehicle and settles the blanket around her and he sees that she is starting to come back to him. He smiles briefly and shuts the door, running around the other side just as the guards come bursting out the door. 

"Get down," Ward yells to Skye, opening fire as he pulls open the driver's side door. He hits the first guard, killing him instantly but the second ducks down out of the line of fire. Ward jumps in the car, pulling the door closed behind him as he reaches for the keys already in the ignition and starts the vehicle. Skye is crouched down in the passenger seat, her eyes wide and filled with a mixture of pain and fear as Ward throws the car into gear and guns the engine, the wheels spinning desperately as he makes their escape. Ward drives in silence for awhile, his eyes constantly in the rear view mirror, making sure they are not followed. Finally he seems to relax and for the first time since they got on the road, glances over at his passenger. "Are you okay?" 

Skye nods but her body is still shivering. Ward turns the heat up a little and directs the vents toward her before saying, "I need to get us off the road and make sure we aren't being followed. Once I'm sure we're safe I'll contact Coulson." 

Her voice is soft as she asks, "Why would you do that?" 

Ward lets the question sit out there unanswered for awhile before finally answering, "Because I owe you that much." 

He directs the car into a suburban neighborhood and when he finds the address he is looking for, presses the button on the garage door opener, waiting for a moment before pulling the car inside. He shuts the door before getting out of the car and tells her to wait while he checks out the house. He goes inside, keying in the code to disengage the alarm and is gone for several minutes before returning to her side. Opening the door he carefully reaches in and helps her out, mindful of her sore hand from the IV and the still hanging tubes of the catheter. He knows Simmons can take care of both once she is safe so for now he just concentrates on getting her inside. She is still weak so he places an arm around her hip, holding her close to him as they enter the house. Ward leaves the lights off, directing her more by muscle memory than sight and Skye wonders how he knows this place. They pass through a darkened kitchen and family room until he gets to the master bedroom where he finally turns on a light. 

"What is this place?" Skye asks as he directs her to the bed, pulling back the blankets before helping her into it. 

"It's a house," Ward answers and Skye rolls her eyes at him but settles her head against the pillow. It is soft and inviting and for the first time in days her body only slightly burns, her right arm still hurting the most from the invasive procedure. 

Her head still aches and her eyes are tired but when Ward walks away Skye calls out to him, "Don't leave." 

"I'm just getting you some water and some Tylenol," he says reassuringly. "I'll be right back." 

Skye pulls the blanket closer and waits for Ward to reappear, her heart pounding nervously. She still can't figure out why he would help kidnap her, only to rescue her from that horrible woman. 

"You okay?" Ward asks as he enters the room, bringing her the pain medication and a glass of water. She looks them over carefully, noting the red lettering on the white tablets and pops them both in her mouth at once, chasing them down with the cold, clear liquid. 

"I'm fine," Skye answers, but she doesn't look fine to him. She's been through hell and he worries about whatever long term effects could be lingering due to her exposure to the _Extremis_.

"Why don't you get some sleep," he says as he sets the glass down on the bedside table. 

Her eyes turn anxious and she says, "Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" 

Ward nods, moving around to the other side of the bed. He kicks off his shoes and climbs up next to her, wrapping an arm tight around her as she lays her head against his shoulder. "I'll stay with you as long as you want." 

Her body relaxes against his and he brushes a stray lock of chestnut hair from her face as she closes her eyes. Her breathing slows and for the first time in days Ward knows she is finally resting peacefully. He holds her close, wishing they could stay like this forever; that they could never have to leave this bed and mostly, that she loved him as much as he loves her. Ward presses his lips to her forehead and closes his eyes, finally sleeping for the first time in days.

***

He watches from the park across the street as the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV pulls up to the house. She is inside waiting for them and they know what to expect, having received a full breakdown from him through the anonymous text message system on his phone. He's let her rest long enough. Stayed with her as long as he can. Any longer together and he knows he won't let her go. He needs her too much. She means the world to him and the only way to prove it was to call Coulson and let her go back where she belongs. The team exits the vehicle. Coulson and Trip from the passenger side doors as May sits behind the steering wheel, waiting in case anything happens outside. A few minutes later Coulson and Trip reappear, Skye between them. She is dressed, wearing the jeans and button down flannel shirt he left for her, the catheter tubes bulging underneath the material. Her skin has finally regained its color and he knows that she is getting better every day. Coulson's arm is wrapped protectively around her and she is talking to him. Ward imagines that she is reassuring him. Telling him that she is all right. Just like Skye to be worried about him instead of focusing on herself. Trip opens the passenger door and for a moment he can't see her until she slides to the other side of the car, right behind May. She glances his way and Ward watches as she looks right at him, her hand touching the glass. He wonders if she will tell them he is there. He is, after all, a wanted fugitive and she is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but as the car pulls out from the curb she only gives a slight wave before settling back into the seat, turning back toward Coulson as they drive away. He waits until they are gone before crossing through the park to the car he has stashed on the other side. She is safe now and that is all that matters.

The end


End file.
